IQ The Prodigy, an independent Hip Hop artist from New Jersey, has been making waves in the industry; with a career spanning five mixtapes and three self-produced, critically acclaimed albums, IQ holds a high head as he presents “AI vs IQ”, a concept album that explores relevant themes in today’s day and age — keep reading for my thoughts!
We all love albums with a strong concept — and “AI vs IQ” is a showcase that explores the conjunction of artificial intelligence with humanity — leveraging the power of the AI beat generator SoundRaw to create the bases; and then, sees Grammy-nominated producer P. Carrera refine the AI-generated beats with additional drums and other production elements. Each track title, inspired by AI and technology terms, provides a thematic base for the album, and this yields a fusion of themes and inspirations that come together quite brilliantly on this album.
Right from the intro track, “Prompt”, IQ is hot on the beat — staying one step ahead of the beat’s variations, he keeps in perfect lockstep with the rhythms as they unfold, while his ad-libs are supremely well-presented with the mixing. His straight-down-to-business flow is technical, rhythmically complex, and very catchy to listen to, showing off his writing ability quite eloquently. As we move through the ten tracks on “AI vs IQ”, we’re presented with endless paintings born of AI, but IQ infuses all his songwriting and rapping prowess into the beats, making for a head-bobbing listen throughout.
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Some other tracks on “AI vs IQ” include “Art Official”, a track that bends the genre definition with a bright future bass sound in the intro, keeping the energy high throughout — while IQ’s ad-libs once again make their magical reappearance. The energy is stratospheric, the hook sections are engaging, and the main verses are deliberate and very well-delivered. There’s also much to appreciate about the sections of the beat as well as the sound design — and the production prowess at play here do the album quite the number as IQ seamlessly flies between sections, weaving rhymes and lyrical poems about the one thing that’s been on all of our minds for the last year or so.
“Text To Speech” substitutes the pure focused energy of the tracks that precede it on “AI vs IQ”, instead bringing a mid tempo, introspective collection of sounds and compelling storytelling going on in the lyrics — and the two play very nicely along, with IQ dialling down the energy a little but to deliver the mean emotional punch that takes the centre stage on this track. While the mixes remain precise, almost surgical by nature, the beats are well-designed and structured, with great creative input translating across to the mind of the listener. All in all, there’s a ton to unpack here, and a ton more to enjoy from this album. Take a listen to it here!
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